


Run and Go

by DoctorHolmesWinchester (midnightsun159)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Caring, College, Family, Friendship/Love, Gen, Homophobia, Hurt, Love, M/M, Party, University, hunger
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-03-19
Packaged: 2018-05-19 05:42:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5955774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightsun159/pseuds/DoctorHolmesWinchester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel has just started college. Without his father's support, he is struggling under load of debt, living on the streets and nearly starving in order to get an education. After Cas finds out two of his siblings were in a car accident, a  helpful Dean Winchester offers to give him a ride.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Day of School

Cas unloaded his bags from the trunk of his brother's car.

"You know Anna, you guys didn't have to come."

"Hey, college is scary. We just want to make sure you get settled in."

"And she wanted to visit a professor of hers who moved here, but she won't tell you that." Gabe interrupted.

Anna smacked their brother Gabriel on the back of his head with the magazine that she had been reading on the way there. "That wasn't the reason!" She shook her head at him, smiling.

Gabe grabbed one of the bags, and Cas grabbed the other.

"No room mate?" Anna asked him, bringing the box he had packed into the sparsely furnished room.

Cas looked at her,

"Do I really need to answer that?"

"Hey, it's an easy way to make friends."

Cas shrugged, not replying.

"Well Anna and I have to head off, but you call us if you need anything. Right?" Gabe said, a look of concern on his

"We're only a few hours away Castiel." Anna piped in.

"I'll be fine guys. Really. Don't worry about me. You two need to get set up anyway."

Anna gave Cas a hug and kissed him on the cheek. "Stay out of trouble!"

"Good luck! I'm sure you'll make some friends. The first week is always the hardest," Gabe told him, giving him a brief,

but tight, hug.

Cas watched his siblings leave, breathing a sigh of relief after his sister shut the door. It's not like he didn't love his

siblings, but he didn't like seeing them worry about him so much.

A blonde guy, drunk by the looks of it, had barged in.

"Oh," he slurred a little, "This isn't Mike's room, is it? 207?"

"One floor up," Cas said, stiffly.

"Thanks!" the guy stumbled away, nice enough to shut the door behind him.

His phone vibrated in his pocket

 **'No moping!'** Anna texted him

 _ **'I'm not!'**_ Cas messaged back

**'Liar'**

_**'Please stop worrying'** _

**'Only if you go meet someone'**

**' _Maybe'_**

Cas shut off his phone and swallowed. Ruffling his hair, he walked to the door.

_Breathe. It's okay. You can do it._

He left the room and went to the cafeteria, looking for something to eat.

His stomach dropped at the sight of all the people in there. He looked down, avoiding eye contact, and grabbed a salad, no longer hungry. $3? _For some lettuce?_

Cas sat down on the grass, sitting against an oak tree and took a bite.

I'm going to have to start grocery shopping. I can't even afford a salad.

He looked down at his watch. 1:52.

His first class was in 8 minutes and he was on the other side of the campus. He threw the rest of the salad in the trash and started walking rapidly, looking at the map of the campus on his phone. He made it to the room, stomach growling, just before his professor came in. There were about 20 other students.

"Welcome to Statistics. I'm Ms. Willis, but you may call me... Ms. Willis." His teacher, a younger female, in her 30s perhaps, stated. A few guys in the back whistled, but were quickly silenced by her glare.

"For those of you who don't know, Freshmen Orientation is tonight. West Hall at 7:45. I suggest you all go. Since only freshmen are here today, I'm not going to bother teaching anything. You're free to go."

Cas stood up quickly and walked out of the hall. He needed to get back to his room before someone else got there. Checking to make sure that no one had stolen anything, he grabbed the two suitcases, and headed down to the gym. Once there, he went back upstairs and grabbed his medium sized box. Luckily for him, the gym had lockers. He placed his suitcases and the box of his belongings in the locker. He didn't have a roommate, that was true, but what he hadn't told Anna and Gabe was that he didn't have a room.

They didn't know it, but their father had disowned him.

* * *

It was about half way through junior year. Father had come back from one of his business trips. Cas knew that he wasn't his father's favourite. When his father was home, he tended to avoid Cas, only talking to him when necessary. So, when the first thing he did upon returning from his trip was to ask Castiel to meet him in his office, Cas knew something was up.

"You asked to see me, sir?" he said, nervously.

"Shut the door," his father commanded. "and sit down. How have you been doing in school?"

He sat down, "Good, sir."

"I don't mean your grades, boy. Michael tells me that you haven't made any friends yet."

"I find it easier not to seek out the company of others at school." That was true, but it wasn't the whole story.

They moved every few years. His father didn't like settling down. At the last school, right before moving, he had gotten a little too close to another student, and some of the students had decided that he was gay. If his father heard of this, it would only give him yet another reason to dislike Cas. So at the new school, he kept his distance, lest his father were to find out.

"That's not good enough. I didn't sign up to have an unnatural creature contaminating my children." He smacked his hand on the desk and breathed deeply. "Michael and I are concerned about your... Habits" his nose crinkled in disgust. "I would send you to some Christian school to straighten you out, but I don't care enough."

"What do you mean, sir?"

"Michael called me last week. He's under the impression that you have an... unsavoury appetite for men."

"But, sir!"

"No buts, you cannot deny it. Samandriel slipped up about the rumors from your most recent school. And I'm inclined

to believe them." He paused, "Since you are not yet 18, and since I wish to have a favourable relationship with your siblings, I won't kick you out of this house. But you are not to talk to any male outside of this household, unless absolutely necessary, and you are not to speak of this to anyone, do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir." Cas said, quietly.

"If you wish to attend college, I will not help you. You are not to receive any funds from this household. Do not contact me for help or money in the future. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," He said, defeated.

"Now go. It would be wise to avoid me while you are here."

Cas left the room, his eyes stinging.

* * *

In his free time, Castiel worked at a restaurant in town as a waiter. He worked after school and on the weekends as much as he could. Most of his siblings had gone off to college, so it was just him, Zachariah and Samandriel. Zachariah spent most afternoons at the church, training to be a priest. So Cas tried to look after his younger brother the best he could, cooking for him on the weekends and helping with his homework. When Cas went to college, he had 10 thousand dollars saved up. The college he applied to would be just over 11 grand a year with his small academic scholarship. Cas planned to save up even more so he could finish without a ton of debt. Since his father wouldn't support him, he had to take out a loan of 35 thousand dollars.

The problem was that he couldn't afford both food and a room.


	2. Meeting Charlie

Cas heard a banging, as someone slammed a locker shut, bringing him back to the present. He locked his stuff up and headed out to find a job, having nothing to do for the rest of the afternoon.

Cas wandered through town. There was a book store by the campus that was hiring

I _guess I'll check out the book store. Maybe I'll get a discount on textbooks._

The sign on the door read "Charlie's Comics". He walked in, the bell on the door tinkling. A girl called from the back of the store, "Just a second!". Cas made his way over to the source of the noise. Standing on a ladder was a slender, auburn haired female, a stack of books balancing precariously in her hands as she put them away, one by one. He watched, not wanting to disturb her, lest she fall. A cat waltzed over, pawing at the ladder, and meowed. It must have startled her because she jumped a little, dropping the books, and falling backwards. Cas moved to catch her. He managed to snag her jacket before she completely hit the ground, softening her fall.

She shook her head a little, and got up, dusting herself off.

"Sorry about that," She laughed, nervously, "I hope you weren't looking to sweep me off my feet, My

name's Charlie." reaching her hand out, "And you are?"

"Castiel," He shook her hand, "But you can call me Cas."

"Alright, Cas," Charlie beamed, "What can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for a job." he admitted.

"Consider it done."

"What?" he said, incredulous, "But you don't have my resume? You don't know who I am. I could be a

serial killer for all you know!."

She raised an eyebrow. "I think we both can tell that's not what you are. Besides, it'd be better having

you around, with guys who come in here looking for a "date" with me." She rolled her eyes. "And I owe

you one."

Cas spent the rest of the afternoon learning the ins and outs of the store. Tomorrow would be his first

official day.

He headed for the locker room, and grabbed his pillow out of the locker, feeling hopeful for the first time

in a while.

Cas found a little nook in the library, which seemed to be dead at night, where he could (hopefully) get

some sleep.

* * *

After a fitful sleep, he awoke to the sounds of laughter, two girls ogling over someone in a magazine. He

yawned and checked his phone. 5:37.

Cas groaned and grabbed his pillow, taking it back to the locker. After taking a shower, he felt more awake, looking around the room.

On the wall, he saw a poster about drunk driving, and got an idea. Cas got dressed quickly and headed back to the library. He snagged a computer and logged in.

 _Maybe I can find a car?_ He went to Craigslist and looked up cars.

 _Bingo_! There was a 1991 Ford Focus for sale for $1250.

Cas could only afford to pay $700, so he called the owner and haggled a ton of haggling, Cas got it down to $1000. He felt terrible about it, but he would have to borrow the rest from Charlie.

He had Mythology at 9 so he went to the grocery store, hoping that they would have half priced, day old bagels. Grabbing one, the woman at the counter gave him a sympathetic look, "It's on the house."

Cas smiled and nodded at her, he made his way back to campus.

He sat in the corner of the room, large enough to hold 40 students, and watched the other students file in, one by one.

A guy in a leather jacket walked in.

_He doesn't seem like the type to enjoy mythology. I wonder what he's doing here?_

He was flirting with the girl next to him. Cas looked down at his desk, playing with a pencil.

"Sit down, everybody. Sit down." an older man boomed and Cas looked at the leather clad guy and his... girlfriend? They sat down quickly, the guy looking instantly bored.

Cas looked back at the professor, whose name was Jeff, apparently.

"Today, we'll be talking about creation mythology... Can anyone give me an example?"

Cas looked away, willing the professor not to call on him.

"You there, in the corner." He made eye contact with the teacher. "Yes. You. Can you give me an example?"

Cas's face warmed up, "Uh," he coughed, "From Chaos came Gaia, who gave birth to her husband Uranus. She gave birth to the Titans, the Cyclops and the Hundred eyed creatures. The latter two types of creatures were imprisoned by their father deep in the earth. Cronos, the youngest of the Titans, castrated and defeated his father. The gods are the children and grandchildren of Cronos."

The teacher smiled at him, "Tonight's reading is going to be on Greek mythology."

Taking notes while his professor went through a PowerPoint, Cas felt someone's eyes boring into him.

Relief washed over him as they were dismissed.

He headed to work, eager to get started.

"Close your eyes," Charlie was clapping her hands excitedly as Cas walked through the door.

"Wait, what?" He said, confused.

"Just close them!"

Cas complied, and listened carefully. There was a rustling sound and then he heard her footsteps. He jumped slightly as he felt something cold against his chest.

"Sorry!" she apologised. After some adjustment, she said "You can look now."

On his shirt was a name tag with a bow on the corner, the name 'Cas' made out of magazine letters, giving it the appearance of a ransom note.

A look of concern crossed her face when he remained silent. "I figured that you would have preferred

"Cas" to "Castiel". Of course, I was probably wrong, I can get you a "

Cas silenced her by placing a finger against her lip. "I love it Charlie. Thank you."

She grinned and gave him a hug, which startled him.

Over the next few weeks, he slowly settled into a routine. Stale doughnuts from the bakery for breakfast, PB&J for lunch and some cooked mush for dinner. With Charlie's help, he was able to purchase the car. He made her take the money out of his paychecks. Charlie was flexible with him and luckily, their classes happened to work out so that at least one of them could be at the store, most of the time.

It seemed like things were going well for Cas. He was handling all of his classes. He wasn't starving (completely) and he even had a place to sleep.

However, Charlie was worried about him. "You never go out, Cas. Every night, instead of having fun, you're stuck here."

"I am having fun," he mumbled, counting the cash in the register.

"You're taking tomorrow night off. I want you out of here by 7. My friend's sorority is having some sort of party."

He snorted, "Me? Going to a party? You must be joking."

"Castiel Novak. You listen to me. You're not going to spend the next 4 years of your life moping around this store... All that dust isn't good for you." Even as she was trying to look stern, Cas could see the concern in her eyes.

He sighed.

"Alright, alright. I'll go to the party. With one exception"

She raised her eyebrow, questioning.

"That girl with the dirty blonde hair who is obsessed with Harry Potter?" he smiled, mischievously. "You have to ask her out on a date."

Charlie stammered and turned beet red, about to deny it, but Cas was already heading out the door.

"One date, that's all I ask." he called, before stepping outside.

Cas felt a pang of hunger as he made his way to the car, instantly dampening his mood. He scooped out some oatmeal from the large bag in the trunk, and added water from a nearby water fountain to it.

He stomached the bland mush, grateful for something to eat. When he was finished, he climbed into the backseat and fell asleep, worrying about tomorrow night.

Once a week, Cas made his way to the post office. He tried to limit his trips because gas was expensive.

Since he didn't have a physical address, he used a PO box for everything. Sometimes his siblings sent him letters. If there was any food in it, usually chocolate, he would save it for a special occasion.

Today there were two envelopes, but since he was running late, he stuffed them into his back pocket and forgot about them.

He went about his day, completely forgetting about the party, until 6:45, when Charlie made a coughing noise and pointed at her watch.

"Oh, um... about that party " He tried to come up with an excuse.

"Sorry, Cas," she smiled, unapologetically, "But I've got a date and you've got a party to get to. I'll give

you a ride."

After much protesting on his part, Cas got into Charlie's car, fiddling with a string on his sweater the whole way there.

"Don't look so worried. They won't bite." Charlie kissed his cheek, "Good luck. Now, go have some

drinks. Meet someone."

Cas reluctantly got out, and watched as she sped away. He made his way up the pathway to the open

door.

He could hear some song about talking dirty.

The first thing he saw when he walked in were some "couples" grinding.

Well, this is interesting, but I think I need a drink.

Cas made his way to what he hoped was the kitchen. He had to scoot past a drunken couple, whose tongues were down each other's throats, to get to the alcohol.

He felt simultaneously overwhelmed by the sheer number of people and extremely lonely, because he didn't recognise more than four people, and of those people, he knew the name of only one.

 _What am I even doing here?_ He went out back, finding it quieter there. It was chillier than he had expected.

When he sat down at a picnic table, he felt the envelopes in his back pocket, having forgotten about them.

He pulled them out. The one on top was a letter from his lender.

His first payment was due.

$470.

That was most of what was in his bank account.

The second was from his brother Samandriel. He hastily opened it.

'Dad would kill me if he found out that I was sending you a letter. He's not happy that you went off to college, I guess? What's that all about? He still won't let me have a phone which is why I wrote you. Gabe and Anna are in the hospital. They got into a car accident. Dad won't tell me much. All I could get was that they think that the driver of the other car was drunk. Anna is okay, I think, but Gabe's not doing too good. Don't tell Dad that I told you! They're at Stratford City Hospital.]

Hope to see you there!'

He folded the letter, rubbing at his jaw.

_I should have been with them. It's my fault for trying to get away._

His thoughts were erratic, guilty, and a bit irrational.

Cas started breathing heavily, his heart rate increasing steadily, and his mind racing. He probably would have hyperventilated, or worse, if not for a hand, touching him hesitantly. He jumped, and turned to face whomever it was.

"Are you okay?" the leather clad guy from his mythology class was watching him, concern showing on his face.

Cas pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on.

"Yeah, I " he paused, unsure of what to say. "What are you even doing here?" he asked.

"Enjoying the party. Same as you," he dead panned. "I'm Dean Winchester."

Cas stood up quickly, "And I'm sorry. It's nice to meet you, but I need to get to the hospital."


	3. The Hospital

Cas stood up, but Dean put his hand on his shoulder, forcing him to sit back down. "You can't go out tonight, not in your condition."

"My condition?" Cas echoed.

"You're intoxicated and emotionally compromised. I'll take you."

Cas shook his head, "I'm fine, really."

Dean rolled his eyes. "No, you're not, the last thing that you need is a drunk driving charge against your record."

Cas sighed. "Alright, but you can't come in with me."

Dean gave a Cas a look that he couldn't comprehend, his smile fading slightly, but before Cas registered what it was, his smile came back. "Of course not."

Dean turned around without looking back at Cas, who hastily got up from the bench and followed him.

Cas admired Dean's car. 'What... kind is it?" He didn't know much about cars, but he did know that he liked this one.

Dean chuckled. "Baby?". He ran his hand along the hood of the car, appreciatively. "She's a '67 Chevy Impala. Gorgeous, isn't she?"

Cas chuckled and got into the passenger seat, listening to Dean tell him a story about how he fixed it- her- after getting into a car accident.

* * *

He was almost enjoying himself before they pulled up at the hospital.

"Just leave me here. I'll get a cab back."

"Absolutely not," Dean stated. "I'll wait right here for you. I made the two hour drive to bring you here, so I'm bringing you back. Besides, it would be a real waste of money."

Cas paled slightly at the mention of money.

"Alright, fine, but don't wait for me. If I'm not back within 45 minutes, you should just leave."

Dean ignored him and leaned his seat back, closing his eyes. "Just go in already."

Cas quickly made his way to the door, a chill in the air.

Dean watched through the window. He noticed Cas pause, hiding, it seemed, when a tall man strode through the doors. He was on the phone, talking angrily. Cas waited until the man drove off before going inside.

_That's… weird_ Dean laid back down and took a quick nap.

When Cas was near the doors of the hospital, he froze, seeing a familiar figure about to come out. He hid behind one of the supporting pillars.

"You had better find the monster responsible for this, or so help me, I will sue you for all you are worth and then some!" Cas heard his father say as he walked through the automatic doors.

"Find him, or else!" He hung up, muttering under his breath.  
Cas watched, waiting until he drove off before going inside.

* * *

He made his way to Anna's room, thankful that he had had the forethought to get a fake ID under Zachariah's name a few years back: his father had 'forgotten' to put him on visitors list.

Seeing that she was awake, he walked in through the open door.

Anna brightened up at the sight of her brother. "Cas! What are you doing here?"

He gave Anna a one handed hug, not wanting to hurt her.

"I came to check on you guys. Alfie told me what happened." Concern coloured his voice as he remembered the letter their brother Samandriel (a.k.a Alfie) sent him.

"I'll be alright, Castiel. I just dislocated my shoulder and bruised a few ribs. Unfortunately," her voice wavered, "I cannot say the same for our brother."

"He's going to be okay, right?" Cas asked, hurriedly.

"I think so," she patted his hand, "You should go check on him."

Cas gave her a kiss on the head and said goodbye.

Gabe's room was right next to Anna's. After making sure that she was comfortable, he went up to the door, peeking in through the glass hesitantly. Gabe had headphones on, but his eyes were closed. Cas knocked, not wanting to disturb him.

At the sound of Cas's knocking, Gabe opened his eyes.

Cas hesitantly walked into the room, and sat down next to his brother.

"You look rough, Cas," Gabe rasped.

"I could say the same for you," He smiled tightly.

"Oh, don't be like that." Gabe chuckled, "I'll be out of here in no time."

Cas snorted, "Sure you will."

Gabe looked terrible. His face was bruised and swollen, he had stitches in his forehead, his leg was in a cast, and his entire torso seemed to be wrapped in gauze.

"Are you in pain?" Cas asked quietly.

Gabe grimaced. "Don't worry about me. I'm so doped up I can't feel my toes."

Cas rolled his eyes, glad that his brother felt decent enough to make jokes.

"Hey, how's your first semester of college going?" Gabe asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, it's going great," Cas enthused, "I've got a job, and I've made some friends. All my classes are nice, too."

_Easy, you don't want to make him too suspicious._

"That's great, Cas!" Gabe smiled, and yawned.

"I should really let you rest." Cas said, apologetically. "You should get some sleep, okay?"

Gabe chuckled, "You always do try to look after everyone. I will. Promise me something though?" He sobered up.

"Let me know if you need anything. Doesn't matter what it is. Advice, food, a place to stay, whatever. We're here for you, Cas."

He stood up, unable to look his brother in the eye. "I'll see you around, Gabe. Let me know how everything heals. I've got to get back to school."

Before he headed out the door, he heard Gabe say, "I love you, Cas. Please take care of yourself."

"I love you, too." Cas quickly said, before shutting the door behind him. He rubbed his temples and walked back out to the Impala, deep in thought.

* * *

He opened the door and got in, startling Dean awake.

"Sorry about that." Cas apologised, getting in, "Are you okay to drive?"

Dean rubbed at his eyes. "Yeah, I was just taking a cat nap. I'll be fine."

"Alright," Cas said, unsurely, "Let me know if you need me to drive."

Dean chuckled. "I swear, Castiel-"

"How did you know my name?"

"Oh, I," Dean looked down, sheepishly, "I heard someone mention you during class, that's all. It wasn't anything bad!"

"Oh. Well, it's Cas." he corrected Dean, nervously.

"Cas." Dean repeated, smiling. He then looked at the radio. "Well, _Cas,_ it's time to get back to school."

Cas hadn't meant to fall asleep in Dean's car, but because of the stress and his poor sleep quality, he just couldn't stay awake.

Dean shook him gently, "We're here, Cas."

He sat up, quickly, Dean's jacket, which had been laying on him, falling into his lap. Cas looked at Dean, wondering what the jacket was doing on him.

"I had opened the windows a bit, and I- I didn't want to you get cold." Dean explained, grabbing his jacket.

"So, um… where should I drop you off?"

Cas gave him directions to a residence hall near the bookstore.

"I guess I'll see you around, Cas."

"I guess so." Cas awkwardly replied, getting out of the car. "Thanks for the ride, Dean."

"No problem. Get some sleep, alright?"

Cas nodded, and shut the door, and headed towards the building. When he looked back, Dean was gone. Cas made his way over to his own car, and got in, laying down in the backseat. Remembering he still had the sweater on, he sniffed it. It smelt faintly of leather, oil, and cologne.


	4. Cold Shoulder

Cas hesitated before going into his mythology class. He knew Dean would be there.

_Suck it up, Cas_ he imagined hearing Charlie say if she found out.

_What am I supposed to say to him about last night?_

It turned out that he didn't need to worry. Dean wasn't in the room. He watched the door, hoping to see him. When Dean came in, at the last minute, he glanced at Cas before sitting where he normally sat. Cas' stomach dropped and he felt sick.

_Of course, it was just a one time thing. He was being nice, that's all._

When class ended, Dean rushed out of the room, looking distracted.

* * *

As soon as he made it through the door of the book store, Charlie peppered him with questions.

"How was it?" "Did you have fun?" "Meet anyone?" Seeing the expression on his face, she stopped. "Hey, you okay?"

He forced a smile, "Parties aren't really my thing. Did your date go well?"

She eyed him cautiously before telling him about it.

"Oh Cas! She was wonderful. Perfect. HarryPotterLARPingComiconStarWars, She's a huge fan!" She spoke enthusiastically..

He smiled, "Did you get her number? What's her name?"

"Sarah," she said, dreamily.

"Did you ask her out on a second date?"

Charlie blushed, "Uh, no, I-"

"Her Hogwarts house?" Cas changed the subject.

"Hufflepuff… it's like it's meant to be." She grinned at him, grateful for the change of topic.

"Easy, tiger." he joked. "Where's your phone? I need to borrow it for a second." He came up with a plan.

Charlie took it out of her pocket and handed it to him. He scrolled through her contacts to find Sarah's name.

**Hey :) I had a great time last night. How about you come by the bookstore Friday night and I'll surprise you?**

He watched Charlie with a customer and texted himself Sarah's number while he waited for a response.

_**I did too, see you Friday… How's 8?** _

**Perfect. Sorry, gotta go** he texted back before deleting the conversation.

"You're not causing any mischief, are you?" Charlie asked, popping up next to him.

"Nope," he smiled innocently and handed her phone back.

After the night of the hospital visit, it seemed like he was ignoring Cas. Dean refused to make eye contact with him. But when Cas wasn't looking, he got the impression Dean was watching him.

* * *

"Hey, Charlie…" Cas started.

"Yeah Cas?" She walked over to him.

"This is a weird request, but we can we close up early and head back to your place?"

Her eyes widened.

"What? No, jeez, not like that! Charlie," he sighed, exasperated. "I know you're a lesbian."

She breathed a dramatic sigh of relief, "Whew! Yeah, sure we can go there. Is there any particular reason…?"

"That, my friend…" he grinned at her, "is a surprise."

"This better be good." Charlie grumbled.

"Oh it is." he chuckled, going through her closet. Cas threw a pair of black pants at her and searched for a shirt. He found one that said "I am not a geek [I'm a level 90 Warlock]" and handed it to her. He turned around as she got dressed.

"Why can't you tell me what's going on?"

"That wouldn't be any fun at all." Cas handed her a blindfold, "Wait until we get out to the car. The last thing you need is to trip and fall."

"Okay, I'm seriously thinking about peeking." Charlie warned him.

"Maybe I should have gotten duct tape for your hands." he teased. "We're here now, but you can't look yet." He guided her out of the car to the front door of the bookstore. When Charlie heard the jingling of the bell on the door, she turned towards him, confused. They went inside and he took off the blindfold. Sarah was standing in front of them.

"Sarah?" Charlie squeaked nervously. They both looked at Cas. "Cas? What's going on?"

"You're going on a date. Trivia night. I was thinking of the name "Charlie's Angels" for your team..." He rambled, "I figured you'd like that sort of thing."

Charlie smiled at him, "Thank you." She glanced at Sarah. "Ready to go?"

Cas watched as they walked out, discussing something about Harry Potter.

* * *

Dean had avoided him for the past week and a half. But today was different.

Today, Dean wasn't in class.

Cas was distracted the entire time, not noticing that his professor had called on him until everyone was looking at him.

"Mr Novak?" he repeated, looking annoyed.

"Yes?" Cas replied nervously, not sure what he had been asked.

"Orpheus. Hero or not. And why?"

"Hero," he contemplated, "But without a great reward or return."

The instructor nodded, satisfied with his answer.

Cas tried to focus, but his mind kept wandering, worried about what could have happened with Dean.

_Maybe he switched classes? Was it something I did? What if something happened to him?_

Class was dismissed, so he got up to go.

"Can I have a word with you, Castiel?"

"Oh, um, sure." He grabbed his bag and went over to his teacher.

"Is everything okay? You seem a bit… distracted today. It's not like you to not pay attention"

"Yeah, it's just… my friend, Dean, and I haven't been talking much lately. He didn't show up for class today. I guess I'm just worried about him."

His instructor frowned, understanding, "I can't discuss details with anyone who isn't family, but what I can tell you is that Mr. Winchester took a few days off for family matters. He left Saturday. I'm sure that he will be okay."

Relieved, Cas thanked his instructor and went to work.

* * *

"Is Sarah coming over today?" Cas asked Charlie. She had been visiting Charlie for lunch since their trivial pursuit date.

"No, not today," Charlie sighed, "She's got a dentist appointment."

"How about I take you out for lunch, then?" he suggested.

She smiled, "I'd like that."

"So what's up with you, Cas?" Charlie asked, after taking a bite of her pizza.

He froze. "What?"

"Something happened. You can barely focus. You don't smile anymore. I'm worried about you."

"I do smile!" he protested.

She smiled sadly. "What's wrong, Cas?"

He looked at the crust on his plate. 'Two of my siblings got into a car accident. My sister is okay, but my brother- he's in pretty bad shape."

"Oh, Cas! I'm so sorry," she said, sympathetically. "I didn't know."

He played with the crust, not making eye contact with her. "It's fine…. Can we go back? I'm not that hungry."

* * *

Cas saw Charlie watching him intensely from behind the counter, but ignored her, and organised books on a shelf.

All of a sudden, he heard the purr of a car's engine and peeked around the bookshelf. It was a '67 Chevy Impala.

_What is he doing here?_

"Dean!" he heard Charlie shout happily. Cas watched as she ran over to Dean and gave him a hug. "Hey, where have you been? I haven't seen you in a few weeks." She paused, not giving him time to reply. "Come with me!"

Cas heard Dean chuckle, the sound of footsteps coming closer.

He clutched a book tightly in his hand.

"Dean... this is Cas." Cas heard Charlie speak, appearing in front of him suddenly. The book slipped out of his hand as he looked up at Dean.

"I know."


	5. Dinner With Dean?

Dean picked the book up and handed it to Cas, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"What do you mean you know?" Charlie asked Dean, confused.

"I gave your friend a ride to the hospital one day."

Charlie looked back and forth between her two friends. Cas could see the wheels turning in her head.

"Dean, do you mind talking to me for a minute?"

He nodded brusquely at Charlie before following her until they were out of earshot.

Charlie glanced at Cas, as she spoke to Dean angrily. He shook his head repeatedly.

 _What are they talking about?_ Cas wondered.

Charlie dragged Dean over to Cas, with a forced smile.

"Well, Cas. Dean seems to be under the impression that he made you… uncomfortable, or something, but he won't tell me why..."

He knew what she was talking about. At some point in the car ride, Dean had placed his jacket on Cas to keep him warm. But to Cas, it had seemed like _he_ made Dean uncomfortable, or embarrassed, not the other way around.

Cas suddenly realised why he hadn't been himself lately. Sure, his siblings were hurt, but he was angry and concerned about that. No, this was about Dean.

_I… like Dean? How did I not see this sooner. I was distracted because all I could think about was the fact that he was ignoring me. It hurt._

Cas shook his head vigorously and looked at Dean"No. I'm pretty sure it's the other way around. He's been ignoring me."

Dean glanced up, surprise apparent on his face.

"Cas, I-" Dean ran his hand through his hair, "I didn't know… I thought I had scared you off."

Charlie smiled sagely, "I think it's time to repay you, Cas. I was hoping something like this would happen one day, but you're such a recluse..."

Dean, whom had been able to look Cas in the eye now, looked towards Charlie. "What?"

"Cas 'found' me a girlfriend," she said proudly. "He set us up on a date because I wasn't brave enough to ask her."

"So... " Cas said, worriedly. "What do you mean by you're 'going to repay me'?"

"I'm closing early." she explained, "I mean- Sarah and I are going on a date, but… I think you guy's should get to know each other."

Cas groaned internally, trying to interpret Dean's reaction, but he had a good poker face. "Well…" he mumbled, "Only if he's okay with it."

Dean gave Cas a small smile, 'I'm starving."

* * *

 

"So, what happened to you? I asked our Myth teacher and he said you had 'family matters'."

Dean set down his burger, "It was nothing. I just needed to get a break," he said, offhandedly.

Cas didn't respond. He didn't really know Dean that well, but he felt there was more to the story. However, he didn't push it.

"Where'd you get the car?" Cas asked, changing the subject.

"It was my dad's," Dean said, his expression unreadable, "He decided it was time for him to get something 'slower, with better gas mileage,'" He chucked, "I don't mind, though."

A waitress walked over with Dean's milkshake, and started flirting.

He grimaced, looking away from the two of them.

"Do you do that with all the girls?" Cas asked, once she had left their table.

"What?" Dean asked, a bored expression on his face. "Oh! That? If it makes them happy, then why not?"

"Oh, I think she was more than just happy" he tried joking.

Dean dipped a fry in his milkshake and shrugged nonchalantly.

"What are you doing?" Cas wrinkled his nose in disgust.

After putting the fry in his mouth, "Have you never done this before?" Dean asked.

"No, never!"

Dean sat up, interested, "C'mon… Never? You've never lived until you've dipped a fry in a milkshake."

"I think that's a bit of an exaggeration, but I'll try it." Cas shook his head, exasperated.

Dean smiled, his face lighting up. "Really!?" He grabbed a large fry and dipped it in the vanilla milkshake, making sure to get some whipped cream on it. He gingerly handed it to Cas, watching him.

Cas took the fry, still unsure, and took a small bite of it. "Wow!" was all he could say.

"Understatement much?" Dean joked.

"It's perfect! Salty yet sweet. The fattiness of the fry goes perfectly with the creaminess of the ice cream!" Cas explained, excitedly.

Dean laughed, and pushed the milkshake towards Cas. "Here, you can have it."

He watched as Cas munched on the ice cream covered fries.

"So, what are you planning on doing, Cas? For a career, I mean."

Cas felt his cheeks warming. "Oh, I- I," he stammered.

"Hey," Dean said softly, "I won't laugh."

"I want to be an ultrasound technician" he said quickly.

Cas had expected Dean to laugh or tease him, but he just smiled nicely. "Wow, Cas, that's actually really cool. I feel lame now."

"Why? What are you studying for?"

Dean hesitated, "Mechanic."

"That make sense," Cas grinned, "You seem to really like cars.'

"My dad taught me everything I know," he said, before frowning.

Cas sensed there was tension between Dean and his dad.

"My father and I don't get along either," Cas added empathetically.

"Really?" Surprise coloured Dean's voice. "What happened ?"

Cas fiddled with a fry, his hand trembling slightly, "He, um, he-"

Dean, noticing, placed his hand on Cas', steadying him, 'Hey, Cas… look at me," he spoke gently, "It's okay. You don't have to tell me."

Cas shook his head stubbornly. "It's dumb." He hesitated before telling Dean, his voice shaking. "My father- he disowned me."

"What?" Dean exclaimed, shocked. "Why?"

"Because…" Cas took a deep breath, afraid he would regret this decision, "I'm gay."

"What do you mean he disowned you?" Dean didn't mention Cas being gay, for which he was relieved. But if Dean was friends with Charlie, he probably wasn't homophobic.

"He refused to help with college, and told me not to ask any of my siblings for help." Cas explained.

"How- how have you been paying for everything?" Dean asked incredulously.

"I haven't." Cas could hear the shame in his voice, 'I've been… sleeping in my car because I couldn't afford accommodation."

"That bastard," Dean muttered under his breath. "That's it. You can stay with me."


End file.
